Door locking and closing device



2 VSheets-Sheel 1 w. A. BEAUCHAMP DOOR LOCKING AND CLOSING DEVICE FiledMay 15, `1945 July 22,1947.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 22, 1 947. w. A. BEAUCHAMP DOOR LOCKING ANDCLOSING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1945 Patented July 22, 1947 DOOR LCCKNG ANDCLOSING DEVICE Wilfred A. Beauchamp, Chicago, Ill., assignor to TheYoungstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication May 13, 1943, Serial No. 486,823

Claims. 1

This invention lrelates to door locking and closing devices. Thisinvention has for an object the association of locking and closingdevices for sliding car doors whereby to secure a reduction in thenumber of parts together with a decrease in weight and cost and areduction in the eX- pense of application.

A further object is to provide a door locking and closing device whichpermits disposition of a closing lever so that it is more easilyoperable.

A further object is to provide a door locking and closing device forsliding car doors embodying a lock bracket and a tapered locking pin andmeans carried by the lock bracket for limiting upward movement of thepin.

A further object is to provide a door locking and closing deviceembodying a hasp and a lock bracket wherein the hasp is constructed tocooperate with locking means carried by the bracket to lock the door andwith a horizontally positioned lever also carried by the bracket toimpart closing movement to the door.

Other objects of the invention will become clear as the descriptionthereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation showing a device embodying the instantinvention applied to a railway box car, the device being illustrated indoor locking position.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing the door partly open andparts of the device engaged to impart closing movement to the door.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 3/ of Fig. 1 looking inthe direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken online 4--4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a Vertical section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of theinvention, numeral ID designates a portion oi the side wall of a railwaybox car which is provided with a door opening II defined by means ofdoor posts, one of which is partially shown at I2. The side wall Illalso embodies metallic sheathing I3 secured to the door post I2, asillustrated in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings. A front stop I4 is also secured tothe door post I2.

The door opening II is adapted to be closed by means of a sliding doorI5 which may be of any desired construction but which, as bestillustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawings, embodies ametallic panel I6 formed with a plurality of horizontal corrugationsIl'. Adjacent each vertical margin of the door the metallic panel isoiTset outwardly, as indicated at I8, to provide a flange I9substantially parallel to the main plane of the panel. The verticalmargins of the door are reinforced and, as best illustrated in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, the reinforcement for the front vertical margin of thedoor is obtained by means of a substantially Z-shaped reinforcing member2l) which overlaps the flange I9 of the metallic panel and is securedthereto in any desired manner. The reinforcement for this margin of thedoor is completed by means of a backing plate ZI which is secured to thepanel I6 inwardly of the offset portion I8 as by means of rivets 22 andto the reinforcing member 2l! as by means of rivets 23. The front stopI4 is adapted to limit closing movement of the door by engagement to thevertical reinforcing member 2U.

The door is adapted to be locked in its closed position by means of alocking and closing device embodying the instant inventio-n. This deviceembodies a hasp fastener 24 preferably disposed upon and secured to oneof the horizontal corrugations Il as by means of rivets 25. The haspfastener is reinforced by means of a reinforcing member 26 lying withinthe horizontal corrugation II and secured thereto by means of the rivets25. The hasp fastener 24 extends through an eye 21 formed in a hasp orlocking member 28 so as to swingably support the hasp. The hasp isprovided with a box section 29, as best illustrated in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, through which a tapered pin or locking element SI'I is adaptedto extend in order to lock the door.

The pin 3D is carried by a lock bracket 3l secured to the car sideadjacent to the door opening II as by means of rivets 32. The lockbracket 3l, which preferably is in the form of a casting, is formed withvertically spaced housing members 33 and 34 which slidably receive thetapered pin 30. In locking position, as more clearly shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, the straight edge 35 of the tapered pin 30 bears againstthe sides of the housing mem-bers 33 and 34 and the inclined edge 36 ofthe tapered pin assumes locking engagement with a correspondinglytapered wall 31 of the box section of the hasp.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the upper portion of thetapered pin 39 is reduced in width so as to provide a shoulder 38extending inwardly from the tapered edge 36 of the pin. The upperhousing member 33 is formed with spaced ears 39 and 40 between whichavcatch 4I is swingably securedV as by means of a rivet 42.

The swinging catch 4l lies in the plane of the tapered pin 30 andcomprises a nose portion 43 adapted to lie vertically above the shoulder38 of the pin when the latter is in locking position and a nger gripportion 44 provided with an opening A1&5 by means of which the catch canbe operated. The nger grip portion over-balances the nose 43 so as tobias the latter into overlapping relationship with the shoulder v38 onthe tapered pin.

As appears from Fig. l of the drawings, overlapping relationship betweenthe-shoulder 38A and the nose 43 of the swinging catch is provided foras soon as the tapered pin'rextends -suiciently below the lower housingmember'34 to permit -a seal (not shown) to be threaded through alinedseal receiving openings 46 and-41 formed respectively in the lowerportion of the pin and in the lock bracket. It is apparent that theswinging catch will prevent the pin from moving upwardly to such anextent that the seal may be sheared. However, in the event that the pinis -in theV position described immediately Vabove yand the vdoor is notfully closed, it 'is -possible for the .door t0 move in closingdirectioniand the tapered pin to drop by the actionof gravityto take iupthe clear- 'ance created by the closing movementofthe vdoor --whilepreventing return opening'movemen't of the door. "The dropping ofthepinis 'not 'interfered with 'by the swinging catchlll which -is inpositionto effectively prevent accidental upwardly 'movement of the pin to =anextent 'which might 'result in shearing of theseal. It will beiclear,nmoreover, from the showingV of Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings thatirrespective-of the position of the ypin when-it is out'of lockingengagement with the hasp, the pin can, without 'interference from theswinging catch, be dropped-throughfthe housing members and automaticallyassume the relationship with the catch as illustrated in Fig. l of thedrawingsso that manual manipulation of 'the catch is unnecessary.

In addition to the foregoing function Aof the -illustrated device of theinstant invention,- it serves aswell to impart closing move-ment of thedoor.

For this purpose the hasp`28 is provided-with an extension i3reinforcedby means ofa ribi. The extension is formed witha plurality ofshoulders 50 which extend downwardly so'asto be capable of selective'engagementby'an upstanding lobe l formed on a' horizontallykposition-ed'lever 52.

rIhe 1ever52 is swingablysupported 'between a pair of ears 53 and'llextending from the lower housing member '3d' of the lock bracket. rr.Ehe

swingable support is obtained by means .ofa rivet Vis in partially openposition, as forlexaniplethe position illustrated in Fig. 2 of thedrawingathe hasp 28 is disposed so thatv itis supportedr upon the lowerhousing member-34. The Yleverf52 is thenswung in clockwise Y direction.until engagement between the-upstanding lobe 5l on the -lever and oneof the shoulderso on the hasp is obtained. The lever 52-is-then Yeasily.swung in counter-clockwise direction since it is pulleddownwardlyandduring this movement ofthe le- Zontai.

ver the door is moved in closing direction. f at this time the door isnot fully closed, the operation described above is repeated by engagingthe opstanding lobe 5| with another of the shoulders 50 and this processis continued until the door is closed. When this has occurred, the pinis dropped through the lower housing member and sealed. As soon as theshoulder 38 on the pin passes below the nose 43 Yof the pivoted catch4l, the latter automatically swings in counter-clockwise direction so asto position the nose 43 vertically above rtheV shoulder 38 and therebyprevent accidental upward movement of the pin and possible shearing ofthe seal.

During the operation of the lever to effect closing movement of the doorengagement of the lever with the shoulders 50 on the hasp is insured bythe reinforcing rib 49 which prevents the hasp from swinging outwardly.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings pin 3] is in the uppermost doorlocking position whichfwill permit sealing of the' doorand 1ever52 ishori- If because of normal discrepancies Vof car'construction as, forexample, `a door opening which is too wide, or a door `which is toonarrow, the door is not fully closed Awhen the pin,-hasp and lever arein the position shown inrFig. A1,1th'e door may move in closingdirection. Upon such movement, the pin will drop andre-estab'lishfengagement with the hasp as is well known. This action cancontinue until reinforcing member 2B is in contact with front stop i4.

At the beginning of this movement of the` door, the lever 52 ishorizontal and inengagement with the innermostshoulder 5B. AItis'clear.' however, from the construction of the hasp and itsrelationship with the `v lever`that the lever when in horizontalposition will not impede themove'ment of the hasp with the door.Similarly, if the lever `should not be 'in horizontal position when thedoor is locked and sealed, closinglmovement of the door canoccurfwithout hindrance fromthe lever.

It will be* apparent that numerousohanges and modiiications in thedetails of the invention-will be clear to those skilled in the art. Itis intended, therefore, that all such modiiications and changes becomprehended within this instant invention, which is to be limited onlybythe scope of the claims appended hereto.

-I claim:

l. In a locking and closing device for sliding car doors having aswingably supported -hasprand a lock bracket provided 'with verticallyspaced housingmembers slidably receiving a' pin adapted to have lockingengagement' with said hasp, the combination comprising spaced earsextending from the lower of said4 housing members, a lever pivotallymounted between said ears in offset relation to said pin, means on saidlever engaging said lower housing member to maintainlsaidlever insubstantially 'horizontal'.position, an' extension onV saidhaspbeyondthe point of engagement of said haspand pin, and a shoulder onsaidextension, said lever being engageable.withsaidshoulder and operableto exert a `pull upon said hasn, forvthe purpose, set forth. y

v-25Inaloc'king and closing devicefor Asliding car 'doorshavingavswingably` 'supportedlccking member and a lock bracket carryingflocking kmeans adapted to havel engagement with said locking member,the combination'comprising a lever pivotallyV mounted onsaid lockbracket in olset relation to said locking 4means,I'meanson said leverengaging saidlck Ybracket'to maintain said lever in substantiallyhorizontal position, an extension on said locking member beyond thepoint of engagement of said locking member and locking means, and ashoulder on said extension, said lever being engageable with saidshoulder and operable to exert a pull upon said locking member, for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a locking and closing device for sliding car doors having aswingably supported hasp and a lock bracket carrying a verticallyslidable pin adapted to have locking engagement with said hasp, thecombination comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said bracket inoffset relation to said pin, means on said lever engaging said bracketto maintain said lever in substantially horizontal position, anextension on said hasp beyond the point of engagement of said hasp andpin, and a shoulder on said extension, said lever being engageable withsaid shoulder and operable to exert a. pull on said hasp, for thepurpose set forth.

4. In a locking and closing device for sliding cai1 doors having aswingably supported hasp and a lock bracket provided with verticallyspaced housing members slidably receiving a tapered pin adapted to havelocking engagement with said hasp, the combination comprising spacedears extending from the lower of said housing members, a lever pivotallymounted between said ears in offset relation to said pin, means on saidlever engaging said lower housing member to maintain said lever insubstantially horizontal position, an extension on said hasp beyond thepoint of engagement of said hasp and pin, and a shoulder on saidextension, said lever being engageable with said shoulder and operableto exert a pull upon said hasp, said hasp when in locking engagementwith said pin being capable of movement relative to said lever in thedirection of pull upon said hasp when said lever is in horizontalposition and in engagement with said shoulder, said relative movementbeing also capable of oc curring in positions of said lever other thanwhen said lever is in horizontal position and in engagement with saidshoulder.

5. In a device of the character described for sliding car doorscomprising a hasp fastener, a hasp swingab-ly supported by saidfastener, a lock bracket, vertically spaced housing members on saidbracket, said hasp lying between said housing members substantiallyhorizontally when in locking position, a tapered locking pin slidablyreceived in said housing members, said pin being adapted to have lockingengagement with said hasp, a portion of said pin being reduced in widthto provide a shoulder, spaced ears on the upper of said housing members,and a catch pivotally supported between said ears, said catch lyingsubstantially in the plane of said pin and. being engageable with saidshoulder when said pin is in locking position, said pin when disengagedfrom said hasp being engageable with said catch to displace said catchand prevent it from interfering with movement of the pin into lockingengagement with said hasp.

WILFRED A. BEAUCHAMP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

